I'll Follow You x x
by ladyspirit
Summary: “Lily… love is about accepting people for who they are, all of who they are!” Sirius admonished and Lily and James both turned scarlet. Sirius’ face became a mask of wicked glee, “Ooo look Peter, Remus! Watch what happens to their faces if you say love!…
1. She's Always High

The charms classroom was filled with a strained silence as the Seventh Year Gryffindors concentrated very hard on making themselves float without words. It was one of the trickiest charms they had ever had to master, to not only make an inanimate object float but to make oneself defy gravity was a matter for great focus. Sirius had his eyes closed tightly and was chewing his lower lip as he put every inch of his willpower into his task of raising off of the ground. He had an air of defiance around his earthborn person which he usually reserved for times when he conversed with members of his family; but now stuck up purebloods were not the (immediate) enemy but rather the forces of muggle physics were what plagued him.

"Come on," He muttered, "Come on!" He could feel his knees shaking, all his joints began to tremor, a feeling of utter weightlessness began to spread from his toes upwards- he was doing it! He was so doing it!

BANG!

The classroom door burst open and Sirius felt his bodyweight slam into him again, he lost his inch above the floor and returned to earth with an unpleasant bump in his ego.

"Sorry I'm late!" Monroe Andrews hurried into the classroom smiling apologetically at Professor Flitwick and looking extremely flushed. Her waist-length hair was even bigger than usual, her mascara was smudged dreadfully and she seemed to have forgotten her tie, "I got my foot caught in the trick stair," By the looks of one twisted sock and the broken heel on her shoe her excuse seemed extremely plausible. Professor Flitwick eyed her with uncharacteristic scepticism.

"When did you get stuck?"

"On my way to class sir," She smiled hopefully at him and limped on her one good shoe over to her desk were she went about pulling tattered books from her ink stained bag.

"This is the third time you've been late to my class in a week Miss Andrews,"

Monroe looked appropriately abashed, "I just can't get my head around trick doors and hungry staircases," She even managed to blush a little, "Where I come from things are just as they seem…"

"Miss Andrew's you have had six years to learn to hop the third stair!" Professor Flitwick reprimanded and the class watched on in interested wondering what the usually calm and even jovial professor would do, "I'm afraid it's ten points from Gryffindor and if you are late again to any of my classes it shall be detention!"

Monroe flinched at the punishment but nodded bravely like a resigned prisoner of war, "Thank you for being so lenient… it won't happen again." Although her words rang vaguely of false promises.

"Come on everybody! Back to work!" Flitwick called out happily obviously taking Monroe and her word and as a consequence back to his usual self, "By jo! Mister Lupin has done it!" And sure enough Remus was rising slowly but surely into the air. Sirius eyed him somewhat jealously knowing that he had been so very close to getting it first. "Five points to Gryffindor! Congratulations Mister Lupin!"

Sirius, his concentration well and truly gone, spent the rest of the lesson muttering to James about various things that had raised his suspicions as of late. By the end of the class James was convinced that if he heard that Monroe Andrews was 'up to something' or that Snivellus was looking 'far too smug for a greasy haired git' one more time he would surely say something regrettable. Sirius could be the most laid back person James knew and the most paranoid. James figured it must have had something to do with his family, the House of Black by nature seemed to be quite a breeding ground for suspicion and mistrust.

"Ask Lily… She's friends with Andrews isn't she? Ask her what Andrew's is up to!" Sirius insisted and James sighed wearily hoping that Sirius would return to his more pleasant blasé persona soon.

As far as James knew Lily barely associated with Monroe Andrews beyond sharing a dorm with her but he nodded and agreed simply to shut Sirius up.

"Now about Snivellus…"

"You already tried to feed him to Remus," James muttered under his breath with a cautious glance at their classmates who were flooding around them to get to the exit, "Don't you think maybe you should let up for a while?"

Sirius looked quite affronted then in a stony, offended voice replied, "Sure. I'll let up." He stopped talking to James and rather seemed to find more pleasure in teasing Pete about a non-existent bald patch he was developing, "Sure you can't see it now, but it's definitely there. You'll be completely hairless by the time we're all thirty Pete, I'm telling you now. In fact if in thirteen years you still have a full head of hair I'll give you twenty galleons!"

Pete just stared at him unhappily and replied, "I am not balding."

"Twenty galleons!"

"Fine!" They shook on it.

"James! Record it! You are the witness to our bet. In thirteen years-," Sirius was grinning happily, obviously convinced that he had just came into a lot of gold.

"- If in thirteen years Peter Pettigrew has lost all his head hair Sirius Black shall receive twenty galleons of Peter Pettigrew's funds," James finished efficiently. Betting was something the marauders often partook in to pass the hours.

"Unless, of course, we have all been sent to St. Mungo's where we probably belong and then Pete can pay me when we have access to Gringrotts-,"

"Or unless you are in Azkaban where you probably belong," Remus added pointedly and his friends laughed.

"Not me Remus," Sirius shook his head, "I'm more of a Mungo's man myself. They have better food in hospitals than prisons I'm told."

"Then you better act really, really crazy at your trial."

"What are you guys talking about?" Lily caught up with them having stayed behind to talk to Professor Flitwick about their next essay, "Who's going to prison?"

"No one," James slipped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek, "Well not yet anyway," He added with a wicked grin.

"Good." Lily nudged his hip with hers, "I can't be dating a known convict James, my sister would love it too much."

"Lily… love is about accepting people for who they are, all of who they are!" Sirius admonished and Lily and James both turned scarlet. Sirius' face became a mask of wicked glee, "Ooo look Peter, Remus! Watch what happens to their faces if you say love!… Love!" He let out a bark of laughter just before James kicked him in the shins.

"You're such an ass Padfoot."

"Ow!" Sirius scrunched his face up in pain and glared at his friend accusingly, "There was no need for that."

"What does Padfoot mean anyway?" Lily asked as her skin tone began to recover, "Do you have really squishy feet or something?"

"Naw, it's just a nickname James gave me when he developed his foot fetish-,"

"What about Prongs?" Lily asked turning to James who was staring at Sirius in horror, "Why do they call you Prongs?"

"Well," Sirius cut in before James could reply, "That's because when he was five James got a set of prongs wedged in his… well a very unpleasant area and didn't tell anyone for a whole day-,"

"That's not true!" James gasped but Lily was giggling so he let it go.

"And Moony?"

"Because he gets a sick pleasure out of flashing his rear end at workmen…"

"Wormtail?"

"It's a name in dedication to his teeny, weenie little-,"

"Lily!" Monroe Andrews was suddenly in their midst with her shoes in her hand and a pleading expression on her face, "Could you do that thing you did when I broke my Pucci mules?" She waved her broken shoes despairingly, "It's just I still can't figure out how to do it and these are my favourite school shoes,"

Lily rolled her eyes and slipped out from under James' arms taking Monroe's broken heel and waving her wand in a complicated little twist. The heel which was hanging by a mere thread from the shoe rose up and re-knitted itself perfectly, "Oh wow," Monroe grinned at her, "You're such a star," She continued walking with them, hopping along as she slid her heels back on.

"Why do you wear high heels about the castle anyway?" James asked as he dragged Lily back into his embrace as though he had been starved from her presence for an excruciatingly long time, "It's no wonder you get stuck in the trick step,"

Monroe just smiled dreamily at him, "They're so pretty and they give my legs a great length." She broke into a little clicking jog until she was in front of them all then she spun dramatically like a miniature catwalk model, "See?" The spin had caused her pleated school skirt to spin out and up flashing a lot of upper thigh and Pete looked momentarily stunned.

"Earth to Pete," Sirius snickered punching his friend teasingly on the shoulder, "No wonder you're a virgin." Pete turned scarlet but from Sirius' next words it became apparently that Pete had not been the only one affected by Monroe's innocent peepshow, "So Monroe do you have a lot of shoes?"

"Oh yes." Monroe nodded apparently completely oblivious to what had just happened. She'd been distracted by a the portrait of some drunk monks who had taken to hitting each other with their gauntlets. She reached out long, slender fingers towards the portrait and cocked her head to one side curiously, the Monks backed up pleading with her in panicked voices not to smudge them, "I like shoes, they make me taller." She removed her hand from the portrait and skipped along beside her housemates again.

Unperturbed by this strange comment Sirius persisted and the other marauders and Lily fought to keep down grins, "Maybe you could show me them sometime?"

"Why?" She did another little spin although this one was less catwalk and more prima ballerina. She giggled disconcertedly.

"I like shoes…" She obviously wasn't the best at reading between the lines.

"Oh I'm only a four Sirius mine wouldn't fit you," She sounded genuinely upset then for a reason apparent to only herself she stopped still, "Oh wow!" She gasped with a newfound smile, "I'm late!"

"For what?" Sirius asked mirroring everyone else's confused expressions and Lily was unable to contain her giggles.

"Oh… Quiddich practise," Monroe replied absently then she wandered off, swaying slightly in her too high shoes.

"… She's not on the team," James told Sirius who was looking downright bewildered, "I would know if she was... Being captain and that… she must be-,"

"She's high." Lily explained still laughing slightly, "She's mostly always high. She's either high or she's a real bitch. I would report her but I have to live with her and she's definitely more companionable when she's off her face."

The Marauders all gaped at her with identical stunned expressions, "How does she get away with that?" James asked finally and Lily shrugged.

"She's just one of those people who gets away with everything. She can't even do magic half the time and yet she's here."

"Well where is she going now then?" Sirius still look vaguely intrigued and Lily shrugged.

"Who knows? She's always disappearing off places. She's probably gone to some hidey hole she's discovered where she can do pot without anyone finding her." Lily was rubbing her head girl badge and looking troubled, "I've tried talking to her but she doesn't listen and she's nice enough, I really don't want to be the reasons she's expelled."

"There's no point telling," Sirius agreed, "You think she could get us some?"

"Don't me stupid." Lily snapped, "If I ever get a whiff of drugs from you Black I will tell!"

"But-!"

"No buts. I will not sit back and let you melt your brain away until you can't even fix a shoe."

"She's right," Remus nodded, "There's no point."

"Fine." Sirius rolled his eyes, "I never pictured myself budding about with such a bunch of goodie-goodies!"

"Well excuse me if I'm not cool enough to rot my brain." Lily sniffed haughtily and Sirius smiled at her apologetically.

"It's Ok Evans," He insisted pleasantly, "I don't care if you're a loser as long as you keep my little love-struck Jimmy happy- See look at their faces! This is so good!"


	2. Lucius Malfoy Has Never Worn Lilac

"I just don't get it!" Narcissa roared into the seventh year Slytherin girls dormitory and, with spiteful venom, threw her book bag at the vanity. Andromeda flinched as the mirror on the vanity shattered and numerable glass bottles were hurled onto the floor where they smashed with spectacular ferocity.

"Can't you not get it in your own dormitory?" She rebuked hotly as one of her roommates came dashing out of the bathroom scantily clad in a towel only to see Narcissa, roll her eyes and get back to her shower.

Narcissa ignored her sisters comment and flung herself onto an empty bed with a mighty sigh, "Why doesn't he love me?" She rolled onto her stomach and buried her face in the beds pillow, she beat pale fists against the mattress in frustration. Then raising her face from the pillow she allowed Andromeda the full effects of her bone jarring scream. Her usually beautiful face was a made ugly by anger and disappointment and her pale pallor grew increasingly red, "Why doesn't he want me!"

"You aren't talking about Lucius Malfoy again are you?" Andromeda had moved towards the broken vanity and was setting about mending the mess her sister had created, "No offence Cissy but that boy is a lost cause. He thinks you're too young."

"I'm fifteen, Andromeda!" Narcissa rolled of off the bed and stood up brushing down her robes arrogantly, "I am certainly not _too young_. That's a preposterous thing to say!" She seemed to be turning her anger on Andromeda who noticed and held up her palms in surrender.

"Ok then he's obviously too involved in his studies to date!"

"This isn't about dating!" Narcissa screamed irrationally looking quite as though she wanted to start throwing things again, "He is the Malfoy heir and I am the beauty of the Black sisters! We are meant to be Andromeda! That's what everyone thinks!"

Andromeda's lips twitched slightly as she fought down a laugh, "You aren't serious… are you?"

"Of course I'm serious!"

"No wonder he won't go out with you." Andromeda was using her wand to fix the broken bottles and seemed confident enough in her abilities to stun her little sister to voice her opinion, "You sound absolutely crazy. He obviously hasn't got the memo about you two being destiny-,"

"But we are!"

"But you're not really!" Andromeda flicked her wand and the broken mirror mended itself with a crack, "Maybe you should try a more subtle approach."

"What's the point in being subtle?" Narcissa scoffed, "It's going to happen Andy, there's no point in him pretending it's not."

"But maybe if you- I don't know?- _didn't _let him know you already have his future planned out he might be a little more forthcoming to your charms?"

"That's idiotic!" Narcissa flicked her Nordic, blonde hair back revealing a startlingly high cheekbone. She sat down on Andromeda's bed and sighed deeply, "I'm just so tired of this foreplay Andromeda! This is Lucius' last year at Hogwarts and I want us to be engaged before he leaves! Is that too much to ask?" She ran her fingers through her hair again and pouted, "He should be jumping to be my husband! Is he looking for someone more beautiful? Someone with better blood? Because he shall be severely disappointed."

"I know," Andromeda moved to her sister and sat beside her, she spoke in tones similar to those of a psychiatrist talking a jumper down from a ledge, "I know he would be lucky to have someone so fitting as you for a wife but you know teenage boys- they're not exactly renowned for their logic! He probably wants to sow a few oats-,"

"What's so wrong with my oats?"

"Don't! I'm still your big sister!" Andromeda looked slightly ill at the thought of Narcissa's 'oats', "All I'm saying is let him think it's _his _idea Cissy… Let him come to you!"

"It was so humiliating!" Narcissa moaned closing her eyes in dramatised horror, "So humiliating Andy! He was sitting by the fire and I went to him and simply asked who he was going to the Halloween Ball with! He didn't even reply Andy! He just got up and left the common room! It was as if I didn't even exist!" She let out a soothing breath, "I don't know _why _I let him treat me that way! I think I love him-,"

"Oh Merlin."

"What?" Narcissa looked furious, "You don't think I love him Andromeda?"

"You can't love him! You don't even know him!"

"Oh and you do?"

"Yes! I've been in his class since first year Cissy! I know him better than you!"

"I love him!"

"No you don't!"

"Yes I do!"

"Tell me one thing you love about him!"

Narcissa's sweeping nose scrunched haughtily, she held up a hand, "He is of the purest blood!" She curled her littlest finger, "He is heir to a great fortune!" The next finger curled, "He has wonderfully Aryan features that will compliment mine!" Her middle finger went down, "He is incredibly intelligent!" Her forefinger, "He looks magnificent in my favourite colour!" Her hand closed into a triumphant fist, "That's _five _things!"

"Lucius Malfoy has never worn lilac so how could you possibly know that?" Andromeda snickered and Narcissa shot her a suffering glare.

"I have an eye for these things!"

"Oh I see," Her voice was verging on scathing but even when she had left the dormitory, and consequently Narcissa, Andromeda's mind was working overtime. It didn't really make a lot of sense that Lucius would be so against her little sister, Narcissa was, after all, considered a great beauty by all who met her. Why would the young heir be so snobbishly disinclined towards the loveliest girl in all of Hogwarts? It didn't make a lot of sense. Perhaps he was too interested in his studies? But then again Lucius had never been completely obsessed with school work, he got good grades but he was by no means a bookworm… Perhaps he did think Narcissa too young? But two years was hardly a huge age gap. Frowning slightly Andromeda decided that he must have been put off by Narcissa's hot and heavy approach to dealing with men. Her sister had never been a girl for foreplay, she liked to get straight to the point and Andromeda would not have been surprised if Narcissa had simply asked Lucius what colours he thought the wedding flowers should be as a conversation opener. But to be fair Narcissa had never had any need to play games of subtlety when it came to men, they usually dropped at her feet.

When Andromeda entered the library it was quite empty, there were a few young Ravenclaws huddled around a book on anatomy and a lone Gryffindor girl leaning against the nearest bookshelf and reading a book entitled "The Magic Doesn't have to End at Midnight' although Andromeda wondered what use it would be if read upside down. But apart from those pupils there was only one more occupant; a handsome Hufflepuff by the name of Edward Tonks was trailing his forefinger along the spines of books in the Occulmancy section. Andromeda drifted over to stand near him, they shared a brief smile then very subtly moved closer to one and other. Andromeda reached up pretending to be interested in a large, purple book and Edward mimicked her so that there hands brushed lightly. Andromeda felt her stomach flutter just a little and she removed the book from the shelf, "I was getting this," She said but her voice sounded hoarse and nervous.

Edward smiled knowingly, "Sure, that's OK… I'll find another one,"

"OK," She felt her face spreading into a smile too, "Books are… great…"

"Yeah…"

Books are great? Books are great? And she had been giving Narcissa advice! Andromeda suffered a moment of excruciating shame then hugging the 'great' book to her chest she smiled at the boy again, "I'm just going to… check it out…" She motioned her head towards Madam Pince who was savagely stamping books behind the library counter.

"Ok." Edward glanced around making sure no one was paying them any attention then moved gently towards her and laid a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Ok." She whispered touching the spot he'd kissed, then with pink cheeks she hurried out of the library, forgetting to check out her book and nearly sending Lucius Malfoy crashing to the floor as he entered.

"Oi! Watch it!" Lucius yelled after her earning himself a sharp 'Shhh!' from Madam Pince.

Andromeda practically floated back to the dungeons feeling both guilty and exhilarated. It was strange but she spent less than two minutes with Edward Tonks each day and yet those were the minutes she lived for. Their awkward moments surrounded by dusty books would be replayed and replayed in her minds eye as she drifted off to sleep. She always planned what she would say to him the next time she saw him but she never got brave enough to say it. She wondered if they would ever have a real conversation, instead of some stupid exchange about books that neither of them would ever read. Then again he was a Mudblood and completely unacceptable especially in dark times like these. Perhaps it was good that they didn't really talk? Perhaps that was all they were ever meant to be; strangers in a library? But the kiss on her cheek was still tingling pleasantly and the butterflies in her stomach made it seem as though she either had to scream with joy or throw up. She thought briefly back to her bizarre conversation with her sister less than half an hour before.

"_You can't love him! You don't even know him!" _

But did she really believe that? The thought of not seeing Edward the next day; of never finding out how soft his lips would be on hers… It was unbearable. Was that love? Could it be? Could she really love someone she'd barely said two words to? She wasn't sure. But she did know that she would be going to the library the next day to return the purple book and admire how Edward's eyes flashed from brown to honey gold depending on the lighting… She wondered if he noticed that her eyes changed colours? Today she had green eyes because in her mind adventurous, daring women had green eyes and that was what Andromeda wanted to be; a woman who could seize the day and make it her own, a woman who would dare to love whoever she wanted and throw caution into the wind. Tomorrow perhaps her eyes would be brown? If she had deep brown eyes she could tempt Edward to kiss her and then, maybe, she would stop obsessing about that little hollow in the middle of his thick, lower lip…


End file.
